Life and Love at Malfoy Manor
by RosalieCullen93
Summary: Pre-Hogwarts. As the First Wizarding War rages on Lucius and Narcissa drift further apart.
1. Chapter 1

Narcissa was bored, drunk and starved for affection. Her husband had been busy with his work as a Death Eater because, apparently, killing mudbloods was more important than spending time with the woman he supposedly loved. She downed another shot of fire whiskey and laid back in her cold, lonely bed. Two weeks. That's how long it'd been since her and her husband had made love. She _needed _him. Today he'd promised to be with her, but now he was shopping for clothes. His robes had gotten mangled in a fight with aurors. She'd offered to go shopping for him, but he was too damned proud to let her do that. A man should shop for his own clothes.

Stupid prat.

Stupid _sexy _prat.

Of course, his looks had been what attracted her to him when they'd first met. Then his confidence, that many mistook for arrogance. She knew better.

He got home at around five. She marched into the living room, drunk as she could be, with her hands on her hips. He raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?! HOW THE HELL IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN SHOPPING FOR TWO HOURS FOR ONE PAIR OF ROBES?! FOR SLYTHERIN'S SAKE! YOU SAID YOU'D SPEND ALL DAY WITH ME! YOU PROMISED!" She then started crying.

"Relax, I just met some old friends and-"

"YOU DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!"

"Narcissa, that's ridiculous." He walked over and cupped her face in his hands. "I love you. You are the light of my life."

She grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss. "_Prove it_."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. She took him by the arm and dragged him to the bedroom, forcefully pushing him down on the bed. She straddled his thighs and kissed his neck. He moaned in pleasure, then turned around so he was on top of her, undoing her robes and kissing her breasts.

"Oh….oh…." She cried out in ecstasy. They were soon completely undressed. They wrapped their arms around each other, covering one another's bodies in kisses. Suddenly Lucius felt a familiar tingle upon his left arm.

_Not here, not now! _He wasn't sure whose wrath he feared more, the Dark Lord's or his wife's.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I have to go."  
"Like hell you do." She kept her grip around his neck.

"Please, Narcissa, he'll kill me."

She grabbed his arm and kissed the tingling mark, relishing the warm sensation upon her lips.

"Who do you love more, Lucius? Me or him?"

"Narcissa, that's not a fair question."  
"Which one of us? If you had to choose right now."

Lucius hesitated for a split second before he kissed his wife's lips.  
"You, Narcissa. I choose you, now and always."

…

The Dark Lord wanted an explanation so he went directly to Malfoy Manor the next day. Narcissa opened the door. Luckily, she and Lucius had gotten their story straight.

"Where is Lucius?" The Dark Lord hissed.

"I'm afraid Lucius is quite ill. The healers ordered bed rest."  
She felt him trying to peer into his mind. He got nothing, complete blackness. Their minds clashed for a few seconds. She didn't give way. She smiled in a way that said; _you don't scare me._

"Tell him I hope he gets better." He said after a few seconds, no actual concern in his voice, but slight fear at whatever strong, ancient magic Narcissa was apparently capable of.  
"I'll tell him." She said. "Have a pleasant day."

He nodded and apparated. She went back in and continued reading Advanced Occlumency-Chapter Ten, Making Them See What You Want Them to See. 


	2. Chapter 2

Narcissa Malfoy sat in the dark on a chair in her living room, her fists clenched. Her husband, Lucius, was away with the Death Eaters. They were going to go kill a couple of blood traitors, he had claimed. It would be easy, he'd said. He'd be back by dinner he'd claimed. She'd eaten a lonely dinner. That'd been three hours ago. He was dead, she just knew it. Dobby walked into the room.

"Does Mistress Narcissa need candles?"  
She glared at him. "Mistress Narcissa needs to be left alone." Then, almost as an afterthought she told the house-elf, "Yes, candles would be nice."

Dobby used his magic to light the candles then departed the room. Narcissa sighed. The little thing was just doing its job, but she didn't need company. She needed Lucius, who was no doubt dead. She placed her hands on her stomach.

…

Meanwhile, Lucius was bleeding in a garden. He could still hear shouted curses and blasts of light from the dueling going on in the house. A curse sent from Arthur Weasley had sent him flying through a window. His mask had broken into two pieces and lay on the floor of the Weasley's living room. He was bleeding from his chest. Bellatrix rushed to him, cast a healing spell on him and picked him up.

"We are getting out of here! That crazy Weasley woman is going to be the death of me!" With those prophetic words she slung him over her shoulder and apparated along with the two other Death Eaters. They didn't know it, but Molly almost died from a curse sent by Lucius. Arthur, seeing Lucius without his mask, hated him after that for casting the curse that almost killed his wife.

Bellatrix and Lucius reappeared in Narcissa's living room.

"Oh my God!" Narcissa exclaimed, rising from her seat. Bellatrix lifted up her mask.

"He's not too bad off, Cissy. He'll be fine. I need to go explain to the Dark Lord how four Death Eaters were defeated by one crazy woman and her muggle loving husband. Hope he doesn't kill me. Bye!" She apparated. Narcissa shook her head then kneeled by her husband.

"Lucius, can you stand?"  
"Yes." He struggled, but stood on two feet. He sat down on the couch.

"Lucius, this has gone on long enough."  
"What has?"  
"This…this war, this lifestyle! You are going to get yourself killed!"  
"The Dark Lord will win."  
"I don't give a damn! The Dark Lord can go rot in Hell for all I care!" She roared.

"How could you say that, woman?!" Lucius shouted. "He is the savior the wizarding world needs to cleanse our blood! To make our blood pure again!"  
"Our blood is pure enough!"  
He had never slapped her before, but now he rose and swung out his hand. She winced as he stopped several inches from her cheek. She could see the internal struggle in his eyes. Good, proper, pureblood husbands do not strike their wives. Yet, he had a violent, angry streak.

"If you slap me Lucius they will never find your body." She grabbed his wrist and twisted. He yelped in pain and fell to his knees. She let his wrist go.

"Don't tell me you've become a blood traitor, Narcissa." Lucius said as he stood back up.

"I am no blood traitor, Lucius. I do not wish for you to die for any reason. I would not have my child grow up without his father."

Lucius's eyes widened. "Do not tell me you are with child."  
"Fine. I won't tell you. You'll have to wait for nine months."  
Lucius's mouth opened and closed as if he were imitating a fish. Then he suddenly swooped up his wife in a hug. She squealed and giggled like a little girl while he twirled her around the room. He finally set her down, gently as if she were a particularly breakable doll.

"Narcissa, please forgive me for almost slapping you!"  
"It's alright. Do it again and I'll murder you."

Lucius, now that the shock and excitement was beginning to wear off, realized his wife's concern. "Oh dear. We agreed not to have children until after the war. Wartime is no time to raise a child…"

"It'll have to do Lucius. Fate has weaved her web."

Lucius shook his head. "If only the Dark Lord would win this war. I must help him now more than ever. Then my child will grow up in peace."  
"_Our _child, Lucius." Narcissa corrected. "This is a war you don't have to fight. My family has magic stronger than most others. Look at Bella, look at my occlumency. We could leave the country, hide from the Dark Lord's wrath, and perhaps return when things have settled down. My family and yours are descended from Lucifer himself, cast from Heaven for even God feared his power! We are purest of the pure, elites. Why must you dirty your hands with this ignoble, though I confess necessary, work? Why beloved, why?"

"Because I believe in it, Narcissa. Haven't you ever believed in anything?" He asked her.

"Yes. I believe in us. I believe in the family we could create. Don't you?"  
He hesitated. He seemed torn for a moment before he answered her with a quote from-of all things!-a muggle poem. "I could not love thee half so well loved I not honor more."

"A pureblood supremacist quoting muggles. What's the world coming to?" She asked, barely disguising the contempt in her voice.

"The poem is true." He said.

"You love honor more than me?"  
"_Because _I love honor I love you."  
She pressed herself against him. "Honor, dear one, will not keep you warm at night."

He wrapped his arms around him. "The Dark Lord will triumph, you'll see."

Tears brimmed at her eyes. "Please Lucius…please ask the Dark Lord to free you of his service."  
"I will not do that, woman." He said, hardening his heart to her tears. "I am doing this for you and for our child."  
"You're a cruel bastard, Lucius." Narcissa hissed. She slipped off her wedding ring and placed it on the coffee table then marched into the bedroom. Lucius didn't follow, but stood watching her, wondering if being a Death Eater had cost him what was most dear to him.


	3. Chapter 3

An icy silence had descended over Malfoy Manor. Lucius wouldn't apologize for the argument. Narcissa wouldn't either. Dobby stayed out of their way for the most part because they took their anger out on him. Lucius had been avoiding Narcissa. Narcissa was becoming more and more pregnant and hence hormonal. She realized one day that she'd spent the whole morning crying. Lucius was away, ostensibly on Death Eater business. Bellatrix had told her the truth. He'd been going down to the pub or wandering the town or even muggle London to stay far away from her. She wished Bellatrix hadn't told her that. That's how she'd wound up with her face in a pillow crying her eyes out. Bellatrix had tried to comfort her, but had soon left. She was a bit of an insensitive bitch that way. Not that Narcissa would ever call her that to her face, but it was her real opinion of her sister. No one really liked her. She rolled back over so she wasn't on her side anymore. She wondered if lying on her side like that was a good idea since she was six months pregnant. She held her stomach.

"I'm going to name you…Scorpio…no, no that's stupid. But it needs to be something strong and fierce…how about, Draco?" She knew by now that the child growing within her was a boy. She kept her hands on her stomach. "Draco it is, my child. I love you, my little dragon. I wish your daddy was here. You want to know something? Your daddy's a son-of-a-bitch."

This set off a round of fresh crying. She buried her face in the pillow and sobbed. She tried to will herself to stop crying, but she couldn't. She wanted her husband to be with her not drinking away his money at the pub. She wanted him to hold her, to protect her. She wanted that strong, noble pureblood she thought he was. She wondered sometimes if that man had ever existed at all. He was just a bitter drunk. Suddenly, she felt a contraction then wetness. She sat up and held her stomach.

"No, my little Draco! This is too early!" She stood up and realized her water had definitely broken. _I can't apparate like this! _She whimpered in pain as the contractions rocked her body.

Yet she knew she had to get to the hospital.

"Dobby! Get in here!"  
The little house-elf ran to her as fast as he could.

"Hospital, now!" She screamed. Dobby grabbed her hand and they were soon in the lobby of St. Mungo's. Two mediwitches rushed to her side.

"What seems to be the problem ma'am?" One asked.

"I'm in labor you nitwit!"

One mediwitch pointed to Dobby. "Is…that the father?"  
"NO YOU BLOODY PRAT! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A HALF-HOUSE ELF WIZARD BABY?! HOW WOULD THAT EVEN WORK?! I AM NARCISSA MALFOY BLACK OF THE PROUD HOUSE OF BLAAAAAH!" She clutched her stomach as a contraction caused her to double over in pain. "Lucius Malfoy is the father! Please….please find him!"  
That's the last memory she had before she passed out.

…

When she woke up she was already stitched up. A doctor was by her side.

"Where is my son?"  
"He's in the incubator."  
Wizards hadn't quite caught up to muggle standards of care when it came to premature births, but they had adapted incubators.

"Is he alright?"  
"He needs a charm to breathe, but other than that he's fine. Your house elf went to find Mr. Malfoy. He hasn't been back."  
"Please, bring me my son."  
The doctor left the room and returned a while later. He was the tiniest infant she had ever seen. He had tiny wisps of blonde hair. She took him from the doctor. Her arms swallowed him up. He had been crying, but the second he was placed in her arms he stopped and nestled his head against her breasts. He was so fragile she was afraid she'd crush him if she held him too tight. She kissed his forehead.

"Draco, I'm going to protect you always. I'll always be there for you, I swear it."

She held him close to her, not wanting to let him go, not now maybe not ever. She began singing him a lullaby. She looked up as she heard a pop. Lucius and Dobby had apparated in.

"Dobby, where was he?"

She didn't expect the truth from her husband. Lucius glared at the house-elf.

"Dobby. Where. Was. He?"

"He can't tell you. It's important."  
"Dobby, kick Lucius."

"Dobby ,don't kick me."

The poor house-elf looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Dobby, just leave." Narcissa said. The house elf quickly left.

"Is he alright?" Lucius asked as he gazed at his son.

"What do you care?"  
"He's my son! Narcissa I got here as fast as I could!"  
"You got here as soon as Dobby dragged your bum out of the pub."  
His silence confirmed her suspicions.

"Is it a crime for me to drink a bit?" He growled, getting closer to her. Her grip tightened around Draco.

"You lied to me. You've been lying to me a lot."

Lucius sighed. "I'm sorry. I admit I have. After our argument I didn't know what else to do. You asked too much of me."  
"Yes. I asked you to be a decent husband-and father!"  
"I can't just leave the Death Eaters." He hissed underneath his breath.

"I don't care about that anymore. Lucius…I'm thinking about getting a divorce."  
Lucius's face paled. "Cissy-"

"Don't call me that!"

He reached out and stroked her cheek. She bristled.

"Narcissa, let's stay together, at least for our son's sake. The war will be over soon anyway."

"If you want us to stay married, you'll have to change and maybe we should go to marriage counseling."

"Maybe so." He agreed. "Please, Narcissa, give me my son." He reached for the baby boy. Narcissa hesitated, still not wanting to let him go, but finally gave him to Lucius. Lucius held him.  
"Merlin, he's tiny." He muttered.

"Three months early. The fact that he's breathing is a miracle."  
The boy began crying and reaching for Narcissa. Narcissa walked closer and they held their son between them. Draco sighed peacefully, apparently content with this arrangement.

"His name's Draco." She said.

"Draco? Draco Malfoy. I like it." He smiled down at the infant. "Hello, Draco."

(A/N-Since babies do NOT make everything better expect more marital discord in the next chapter when Narcissa drags Lucius to couples counseling)


	4. Chapter 4

It took many weeks before Lucius and Narcissa could find a marriage counselor they could both agree on. They both agreed the marriage counselor had to be a pureblood wizard. Everything after that was up for debate. And debate they did. One counselor had only practiced two years-not nearly long enough for Lucius's taste. The other counselor was German and immediately rejected by Narcissa, who refused to explain why.

"Good Merlin, woman, he's been practicing for _twenty_ years!" Lucius protested.  
"He's German. I can't understand a damned word Germans say." Narcissa said, stubbornly clinging to her original argument.

"He's been in England for fifteen years! I'm sure he speaks the language!" Lucius threw his arms up in frustration.  
"Probably not well."  
He sighed. "Fine. What about Dr. Bryan McKenna?"  
"He sounds Scottish."  
"You're more bigoted than I am, woman!"

"Stop calling me woman!"  
Suddenly little Draco began crying. They both pointed their fingers at the other.

"You made him cry!" They both shouted. Narcissa ran to comfort him. By the time Lucius got to the nursery she was nursing and cooing over him. He smiled at the display of motherly affection. He closed his eyes and tried hard to remember why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place.

He couldn't. He couldn't remember. The thought almost made him recoil in shock. He remembered their first meeting well enough. It had been in a bookstore devoted to the dark arts. She'd been reading a book on love spells. He wondered now what man she'd been attempting to get ahold of. That man must have been forgotten when she'd laid eyes on him. He'd been attracted to her beauty, at that young age it'd been especially prominent. He'd walked up to her and started a conversation about potions of all things. He asked her if she knew where he could find a potion to kill his enemies. She'd gleefully volunteered for the project. They'd spent the day searching for poisons that couldn't be traced. At some point Lucius decided not to flat out kill his hated arithmancy professor, but to just give him warts. No one ever found out it was him that did that. Narcissa helped him brew the potion, then they'd made love on a bench in his basement. It was his first time. Even though he wound up with bruises on his back for a week from the uncomfortable position that first time making love remained his most treasured memory. His father approved of the match and three years later they were married. And only a few years after that they were constantly at each other's throats. What had happened?

"Lucius, I think he wants you." Narcissa said, breaking him from his thought. Sure enough, the boy was stretching his arms out towards him.

"He's never done that before." Lucius said, taking the infant into his arms. "What's wrong, Draco?"  
Little Draco grabbed on to his necklace that held the Malfoy family crest and put it in his mouth. He gurgled as he happily sucked on it. Narcissa giggled at the sight, and then gently removed the necklace from Draco's mouth. Draco let out an ear-shattering scream. Lucius, not knowing what else to do, shoved his finger in the boy's mouth. Draco stopped crying and sucked the finger.

"Well, I guess I'll be carrying you around the rest of the day." He muttered.

"Don't worry. He'll get bored." Narcissa assured him. Only a few seconds passed before Draco let go and fell asleep in his father's arms.

"Narcissa…" Lucius began, then stopped. He was never able to express his emotions that well. "Do you love me?"  
"Great. I have two babies." Narcissa replied.

"I'm serious wo-Narcissa. I'm serious, alright?"  
"Of course I love you, Lucius."  
"Do you remember why?"  
She was silenced.

"Twenty years of practice you said?" Narcissa asked finally. "I'm sure his accent's not _that _thick."

…

The next day they arrived at the office of Dr. Hans Gershenhouer.

"Velcome to my office _Herr _Malfoy, _Fraulein _Malfoy."  
"Oh dear God." Narcissa muttered. "HELLO. DO. YOU. UNDER. STAND. WHAT. I. AM. SAYING?"  
"Iz you wife deaf?" Dr. Gershenhouer asked.

"No, she's just…she's just like this."

"CAN YOU SPEAK CLERARER?!" Narcissa yelled.

"A bit more quiet, please." The counselor urged. "Now what has brought you to my office?"  
"We've been arguing a lot lately." Lucius began. "About my work especially. She says I work too much."

"Well, I have no problem with your work. I just feel neglected." Narcissa butted in.

"This iz something many wives complain about. Where do you work?"

"I'm…a…I'm a businessman." Lucius said.  
"What sort of business?"  
"…Drugs."  
"You're a drug dealer? Mein Gott!"

"I'm sorry, we no speak kraut." Narcissa said.

Dr. Gershenhouer seemed quite affronted by the anti-German slur, but he let it go.

"So, how long have you been a drug dealer?"  
"Since…um…since school."  
"Sir, I really believe you need to leave your profession. Do you have a child?"  
Lucius nodded. "Yes, a son."

"What kind of future do you think you're leaving him? What if you're arrested? Do you want your son to grow up without a father?"  
"No, no of course I don't! But I'm in too deep! The Dark Lord will kill-oh, oh _damn it_!" Lucius cursed as he realized what he'd just said.

Dr. Gershenhouer mouth hung open. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named does drugs?!"  
"Yes! He does! He's an addict and if I cut him off he'll kill me!" Lucius said. "Or my family!"  
"This is most serious matter! I'm afraid I can't help you with this. You must contact ministry."  
"They'll throw me into Azkaban!"

Dr. Gershenhouer sighed. "I vish I could be of more help. But still I suggest changing your profession. Perhaps suggest to him another dealer."

"It's not just his job. I feel like he doesn't have time for me anymore." Narcissa sighed.

"We have plenty of time together! We make love every week!" Lucius responded.  
"Every week! He schedules in our sex time in his notepad! Tuesday at 10:45 for the past two years! What if I want it at 9:00 on Wednesday? Or noon on Friday?!"  
"NO ONE MAKES LOVE AT NOON! I'M A VERY BUSY MAN!"  
"WHY DON'T YOU KISS ME MORE?!"  
"WHY DON'T YOU-"

"Enough, please!" Dr. Gershenhouer interrupted them. "Vhat activities, other than sex, do you enjoy doing together?"

They both thought a while.

"We used to collect…old books." _On dark magic_. Lucius finally said.

"Vhen did you do that last?"

"It's been a long time." Narcissa murmured.

"Vy don't you try doing that again?"  
"We could couldn't we?" Narcissa asked.

"Well…I don't have anything going on after this session." Lucius answered.

"Excellent!" Dr. Gershenhouer exclaimed. "Now about your sexual issues-"

"I'm very busy. I don't always have time." Lucius interrupted.

"Selfish ass." Narcissa muttered.

Dr. Gershenhouer felt a headache coming on. In all his years of practice he'd never encountered such arrogant, self-absorbed people.

"Oh and it's the same position _every damned time_." Narcissa complained.  
"Have you ever considered a different position?" He suggested, helpfully.

"There's one I'm interested in, but he…how do I put this…he won't pleasure me with his…with his mouth." Her face turned completely red.

"Iz this something you want?"  
"She's never given _me_ pleasure with _her _mouth either." Lucius said. "I mean it isn't _proper_, you know?"  
"The first time we made love was on a bench in your basement. _That_ was hardly proper now was it?"

"I suppose not." Lucius admitted.

"And sometimes I want to be on top."  
"You're on top sometimes!"

"But you always end up being on top! Let me finish for once!"

"Vhy don't you let your wife on top?"

"Because…it's not proper!"  
"For a drug dealer you sure do have a lot of notions of propriety."

"You don't know the half of it, Doctor. But when we were first dating…wow. We did it everywhere. Once he drug me into the bathroom of a restaurant, bent me over the sink and, well, you get the point." She giggled and blushed. "We got caught and we're still banned from that restaurant!" She sighed. "I miss those days."

"Many couples find as they mature they lose some of their spontaneity. Perhaps you should try new things. And Lucius, you must learn to be more attentive to your wife's physical needs."  
Lucius grudgingly admitted that he was right. By the time they left the session they'd managed to agree on a few things, like the fact that they needed to do something new in bed and that they needed to spend more time together.

"Do you think the bookstore we first met at is still open?" Lucius wondered as they left the counselor's office. "Maybe we could go there."

"Oh, Lucius, that's a wonderful idea!" She threw her arms around him. "We haven't been in so long!"

Lucius smiled as they got on their broomsticks and flew towards Diagon Alley.


	5. Chapter 5

Diagon Alley never seemed to change much, Lucius mused as he and his wife walked through the streets. It was the same old shops he remembered from his childhood. A few new ones had opened up, including a café that looked rather nice. They kept walking till they came to an abandoned-looking storefront. It was here that the black magic bookstore was hidden. Lucius opened up the door. He expected to see the familiar face of the shop's owner, a hook-nosed old man. He wasn't there. The books he remembered were gone. The scrolls were gone as well. It didn't just look abandoned-it _was _abandoned. No one had been here for years. They both stared out at the emptiness.

"Well, I guess they closed." Narcissa finally commented.

"Yeah. The Ministry probably closed them down. Bloody bastards." Lucius responded. They stood in the darkness. Narcissa suddenly took Lucius's hand and led him gently. He followed her. She stopped suddenly and leaned against the wall.

"Lucius, don't you remember?" Narcissa asked.

"Remember what?"

She rolled her eyes. "This is the spot where we first met."  
Lucius looked closer at the spot his wife was standing in and realized she was right.

"I remember." He said. A flood of memories came rushing back to him. He looked at her and saw the enchantingly beautiful, fascinating young girl she had once been, no, still was. The girl that had helped him craft a dark potion to gain revenge against a teacher that had tormented him, the woman that had stood by him as he fought for what he believed in. The woman that had put up with all of his late nights out putting his life in danger to pursue…what, exactly? The salvation of his race? Yes, he believed in this, always would. But did he want to sacrifice the woman he loved for some abstract ideal?

"Lucius."  
Her voice broke through his thoughts. She was smiling at him.

"It'd be nice if you let me inside that handsome head of yours once in a while." She said with a small pout.

He stroked her cheek. " I was thinking about the first time we met. Narcissa, you were reading a book on love spells when I first met you. I never asked you, but who were you after?"  
She thought hard for a few moments. "I have no idea, I honestly don't remember."

"You know, you wouldn't offend me if you told me his name. I suspect you had a life before meeting me." He said.  
"That was before you became my life, you and Draco." Narcissa answered.  
"I'm your life?" He asked.  
"Yes." She answered, leaning into him. He held her, ran his fingers through her silky hair.

"Lucius, you love me more than anything else, right?"  
"Of course."

"You love me more than you love being a Death Eater?"  
"Yes, of course." He answered. He pressed his lips to hers. "I'm sorry I've neglected you. I'll try to make it up to you. I promise."

He wasn't sure if it was some leftover love potion in the air of the former bookstore or the nostalgic feeling the place was giving him, but the next thing he knew he had wrapped his arms around her and she had wrapped her arms around him and they were kissing like teenagers. She pushed him down onto the floor and straddled his thighs.

He let her be on top this time.

…

Months went by and the relationship between Lucius and Narcissa improved. He stopped avoiding her and going out to pubs. She attempted to be more understanding of him when he had to go out on missions and they continued going to couples counseling. Then one day months of progress evaporated.

Voldemort fell. Narcissa personally felt more relief than anything else. Sure, she believed in preserving pureblood lines and all that. However, the fact that the father of her child would no longer be going on life-threatening missions took away much of her anxiety. Of course, that was replaced with a new anxiety that Lucius would be sent to Azkaban. A visit to Gringott's and a hefty bribe relieved that anxiety and the judge pretended to accept the outright laughable defense that Lucius was under the Imperius Curse. Lucius was a free man, but he was not a happy man. He had taken to sitting in his office with his Death Eater mask in one hand and a bottle of firewhiskey in the other. Once again, he was lost in his own little world. Narcissa often found herself in the awkward position of putting her son to bed then convincing her husband to come to bed. And an adult Lucius threw worse tantrums than a baby Draco. She decided to give up and focus on her son. One day while sewing on the couch and watching Draco play on the floor she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye. She gasped as she realized a plat was floating. She looked to Draco who was staring at it.

"Lucius! Lucius, come here! Quick!" She shouted. It was Draco's first time doing magic; she didn't want him to miss it. Lucius stumbled in.

"What?" He slurred.

She pointed to the floating plate, then to Draco. Lucius's eyes widened. Among wizards a child's first use of magic was akin to their first word and first step.

"Draco, my boy!" Lucius exclaimed, then, drunkenly enthusiastic, picked Draco up and held him. Narcissa quickly grabbed the plate before it fell. Draco gurgled happily. Narcissa ran up and she and Lucius held the boy between them. She kissed his forehead. Draco wrapped her arms around his neck.

Lucius smiled. "I'm so proud of you my beautiful wizard boy. My beautiful little pureblood." He giggled, clearly intoxicated. She took Draco from his arms and held him tight against her breasts.

"Do NOT hold MY son when you've been drinking." She held onto Draco so tight he started squirming in her arms. She slightly released her death grip and kissed him gently on his cheek.

"I love you, my little dragon." She whispered. Now more comfortable Draco nestled into her embrace.

"Your too damned protective, woman!" Lucius snapped at her.

"At least I'm not a drunk." She shot back. "And he's so small and fragile, you know that!"  
"He's going to be a great wizard one day!" He ticked the boy's belly, eliciting a giggle. "Yes you are! Yes you are!"

"Not if you drop him on his head he isn't." Narcissa said. "You don't want him becoming a squib do you? That's how squibs get that way. Their drunken daddies drop them on their head."  
"No they don't. Wait, do they?" He asked.

She gravely nodded. "Seventy-six percent of squibs report that their father drank heavily." She made up on the spot.

Lucius looked alarmed. "Maybe I should cut back." He muttered.

"Yes, maybe you should." She agreed. She softened the scolding tone to her voice. "You still have something to live for you know. Me and Draco. Don't give up. I get that the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters meant a lot to you, but please don't give up on this. Don't give up on life, don't give up on _us_."

Lucius smiled in a regretful way. "You're right." He kissed her and they held their son between them.


End file.
